---

Three days ago…

The world of Ossvien was abuzz with excitement, gossip, and fear as everyone seemed to be talking about the disappearance of the Arcadian. Yes, many ships had been lost over the years to the Shadowmount Isles. Enough so to make people fear the isles and wonder just what darkness lurked there, but never was a ship lost that it drew the attention of any of the large countries. Glasston, Aelvale, and Stormwyn were all content to leave the isles to their own devices. That is until now. Now Strongwyn and Glasston seemed to be in an uproar as the Arcadian had been carrying things dear to both countries.

King Venali Kealen, ruling power of the Glasstonian empire, sat in his throne room as he spoke with his frantic advisors. All of them were concerned on how the Strongwyn empire was going to respond to the disappearance of the Arcadian. It was a Glasstonian ship that the king had sent to collect his future daughter-in-law along with her dowry and now they feared the Strongwyn empire would blame them for the disappearance of their princess.

“My lord, if we do nothing than there is a chance that the Strongwyn empire will declare war on us. We can not fund a war at this time!” One of the advisors, Lord Pharran Norris, complained as he tried to get the king to see his fears. A few of the other advisors scoffed at him, exclaiming that if the Strongwyn empire wished to go to war over this than they were just looking for an excuse. Some even exclaimed to let there be war.

The king sat there with his eyes closed, rubbing at his temples, as the court went back to bickering once more. “My lord, a letter for you.” Came a soft and timid voice to his side as he looked over to see his page boy. The letter bore the seal of the Strongwyn royal family. He took it and thanked the boy before he silently began to read it. What he read filled him with hope and a little bit of fear as he now knew what needed to be done.

“Enough! General Roren, find your finest captain and have them prepare for a voyage. I shall be sending them out towards the Shadowmount Isles to search for the Arcadian or any survivors. We must try to do all we can to bring back Princess Zaleria Moonfall safely. Now go.” He commanded and the council fell silent, looking at the king in a bit of shock. Soon, however, people were moving into action and the General was off to prepare Captain Draegen for her voyage.

---

---

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interactions: Her entire crew

---

Sunken Reef Isle was quite the unique place, especially when you were headed for Parlay Cay. Around the entire isle was a maze of reef and jagged rocks that only the most skilled and familiar knew how to navigate through. There was also a graveyard of ships that had tried to make it through and failed. It made for a rather ominous sight and served well as a warning to any who weren’t welcome there.

Parlay Cay was the worst of the reef and rocks, however there was one path you could take to make it through and every pirate on the seas knew this. This path was protected by an illusion spell, a spell that created a veil over that section of the island where once you were past it onlookers couldn’t see the path you took. This was part of what helped protect the pirates all these years.

Once you made it past the reefs then you had to sail into a large cove and that’s where you would find the small city of Parlay Cay. The buildings were made from old ships, some torn apart and then stacked on eachother up the cliff side. Some lived there full time, serving all the pirates that came to port while others were only there for a short time, hoping to be picked up by some ship.

This was the case for young Katurah and she’d been here for a week. Her funds had begun to run low and she had been worried about what she was going to do once they ran out. Sure she had worked out a deal with the innkeeper to play her music in the tavern in exchange for a place to stay, but that didn’t pay for her food. Thankfully she had caught wind the night before of a captain recruiting members for their crew and Katurah somehow managed to talk her way onto the ship.

She now eagerly made her way down the docks, all her possessions in a sack and her violin in her hands as she scanned each ship and their names. Mermaid’s Fortune...Mermaid’s Fortune… She kept repeating in her head until she finally found the ship that bore the name. She stood there grinning up at the ship as she watched men carrying large barrels and crates onto it. There was a woman aboard the ship seemingly examining each item brought on and then checking something off on the paper she held. Katurah immediately knew this was the captain thanks to her conversation she had last night.

Captain Nightingale, as her crew had begun calling all thanks to her first mate Malek, was aboard her ship making sure they had everything for their journey. Before they had made it to Parlay Cay, she had announced to the crew that their next journey was to go after the missing Arcadian. She gave the entire crew the option to stay with her on this journey, knowing that it would be a dangerous one, or they could leave once they made port and she wouldn’t have any hard feelings. She even offered to give them all a good reference so they could make it aboard another ship. Unfortunately some did decide to part ways with the rest of the crew and so Adrielle had to stay in port for a few days longer in order to find replacements.

”Umm excuse me? Captain?” A voice came from behind her as she examined a crate and marked something off. Who in the world would really be interrupting her at this time? Couldn’t they see she was in the middle of something? ”Hmm?” Was her only response as she didn’t even look up at the person and just continued on.

Katurah bit her lip as she debated on continuing, but the captain hadn’t shooed her away right away so she decided it would be alright. ”Well, um, I just wanted to thank you for this opportunity. I won’t let you down. It’s always been my dream since I was a little girl to sail on a pirate ship and go on daring adventures. I mean I even remember one time hearing a story about-” She was cut off as the woman in front of her sighed and looked up from her work with irritation.

”Would someone come and show this child to her bunk?! We leave in an hour and I do not need this interruption!” Adrielle yelled out to her crew, looking around the deck briefly before going back to her work. She didn’t have time for this, if they wished to beat anyone else to Shadowmount Isles then they had to leave as soon as possible.

Katurah’s ears flattened in embarrassment as she took a sheepish step back. ”Sorry…” She squeaked as she began to look around, hoping someone would come and save her from her foolishness.

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interaction with: @Tae - Adrielle & Katurah, @dreamingflowers - Nur

---

Malek’s watchful eyes scanned every face that walked upon the ship, his eyebrows were furrowed and his arms crossed. If you wanted to find the most unapproachable pirate on the Mermaid’s Fortune, there was no need to look any further. Despite his outer demeanor, on the inside, he felt excited to be embarking on a new voyage. For the past seven years, his captain and close friend, Adrielle Draegan had satiated his desire for adventure, and if it weren't for keeping up appearances, the grump would have a cheerful smile spread across his face.

"Hmm." Malek unconsciously let out as his sights locked onto a feline demihuman that had walked onto the ship. He raised his right eyebrow, silently questioning what he was seeing with his own eyes. No way… Pickings can’t be this slim. He shook his head as he already predicted the new crewmate’s demise. The sea is much too cruel for this one... Malek then mumbled something softly under his breath before his eyes shot open upon hearing Adrielle’s raised voice. His scowling face returned as he shot a look at the lost kitten of a woman. Many on the deck instinctively turned their attention to Malek, knowing that the first mate would act soon after the captain’s complaint.

Malek stomped over to Katurah, looking as if he was going to assail the woman with how quickly he moved across the ship. His aquamarine eyes met her gold ones as he sneered in disgust. “NUUUURRRR! Get this useless landlub-” Malek leaned in close. His face was inches from hers. "Not landlubber… Worm! Get this worm to her bunk. Now, Nur!” Malek ordered harshly. Nur was currently his go-to person for doing pretty much any task that needed to be done. Whether she actually did these tasks was another story. Malek gruffed as he walked passed Katurah and to his captain. “Give it here Nightingale, I’ll handle the rest of the shipments. And give me the word, and we can toss her off the Mermaid’s Fortune. I know her type. She gets people killed y’know?”

---

After a stretch of what Aodh considered far too long at port they were finally loading up the Mermaid’s Fortune to set sail once again. His carried various barrels and crates with the rest of crew, his body itching with excitement to be out on the open seas once again. There were a few faces missing from the crew, those who did not wish to risk sailing towards Shadowmount Isle, but as Aodh saw it the less cowards aboard the better they faired in this new venture. The bounty to be found aboard the Arcadian was sure to be great, as pirates everything they did was risky, and he would not be scared off by sailor superstitions. There were a few new faces as well, one in particular though stood out. A feline demihuman currently trying to chat the ear off the captain while she was taking stock of the cargo. He chuckled and shook his head, only the greenhorns pulled stunts like this. As the captain shouted for someone to her to her bunk, he couldn’t help but wonder why she had recruited someone who certainly did not appear to be cut out for this kind of life. He headed over to the new girl just as Malek finished giving her quite the ribbing.

“Hey there lass, I can help you find Nur, she can help you get acquainted. Best not to bother Cap’n when she’s busy.” He advised, keeping his tone warm and friendly. The poor girl had the misfortune of getting on Malek’s bad side day one so he didn’t figure she needed anymore hazing. “The fella callin’ you a worm would be Malek, Cap’n’s first mate, he’s a bit of a prickly pear but he’s soft and sweet down deep.” Aodh continued as he scanned around for Nur. Now he knew better than to think Nur would be out here helping to load the ship, women as lovely as her rarely took part in the heavy lifting. What wouldn’t surprise him, was to see her with some naïve young sailor already wrapped around her finger. “I’m Aodh, feel free to let me know if you need anything. Now let’s see if we can find Nur.”

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interacting with: Adrielle Draegen & Katurah_@Tae

---

How could he ever have resisted such adventure? When the Captain announced their next destination the old Sea-Witch was positively ecstatic and giddy with laughter. It probably didn’t help retain the crew. A laughing Aharuhn meant intensity of any kind. He had bellowed with laughter in the middle of a storm and skipped steps right before they found wonderful treasure. But with the trip heading towards Shadowmount Isle, most saw the happiness of Aharuhn as trouble. Ever since they made port the old man had been nowhere near a pier. He has been everywhere else though. Reading fortunes while drunk in bars, sleeping with women of low repute and gambling amongst the pigs. His few days and nights on shore was a bacchanal of sin and indulgence. And now he had returned. Ready to once more take up his duties as Sea-Witch onboard the Mermaid’s Fortune. And fortune he had brought it. His cot, sealed since he left it through exotic mechanisms and taboo magic, was filled to the brim with maps of treasure of any kind.

Bleary eyed, exhausted but floating on a substance (what substance exactly he failed to remember) induced cloud he boarded the ship. “Ah, she missed me!” He exclaimed with a sigh as his bare feet touched the wood of the ship. He turned his gaze towards Adrielle. “Cap’n. She’s yearning. Let cast her off. We must sail!” he exclaimed. Though his attention changed like the wind. Ah, Malek throwing insults again. How typical. Aharuhn basically lived on the bad side of Malek. Though whom he was insulting was far more interesting. He approached the completely out of place demi-human, guessing she was new. “Such beauty.” He said, examining her as only a man could. “Do you want to know how you’ll die?” It was Aharuhn’s favorite thing to do to new crew members. Often times he was wrong, Though sometimes he was exactly right.

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interactions: @Tae @Funnyguy @Helo @Legion02
Ambience: Seaside banter

---

A midst the hassle and bustle of the deck a young woman sat perched on top of a crate. Her lips were slightly parted while she looked into a mirror with the utmost concentration. In her hand she held a small brush which she had dipped into a tiny jar of kohl. With expert precision and a well practiced hand she began to frame her eyes. The first attempt was crooked to which she let out an irritated breath. The young sailor who was holding the mirror for her bit his lip and got visibly worried. The slight swaying of the ship made it hard to hold the mirror in one place, also the robe of the young woman kept moving in the wind. It gradually revealed part of her leg, creeping upwards when the wind intensified. The man swallowed hard and lowered the mirror, he needed to take a breather.

"It can't be that heavy..." Nur said, wanting to sound witty, but sounding distracted instead. She tried to follow the mirror as it moved. Her witty remark was lost on the sailor. She put the brush away into the pocket of her robe. The robe reached down to her calves. It was made of an expensive kind of lilac silk with embroidered butterflies fluttering on the sleeves and bottom portion of the robe. Nur looked at the sailor and smirked slightly when she realized why he wasn't paying any attention to the task she'd given him. When they locked eyes he shamefully looked away, his tan face slightly flushed.

Nur looked completely out of place between the working crowd on deck. Not only because she hadn't bothered to dress herself in proper clothes, she also wasn't making a single attempt to assist with the heavy lifting. That was exactly the way she liked things. There was fresh meat coming aboard today, according to the captain. Nur had already acquired her personal scrap of meat for the morning. A handsome and gullible fisherman's son, who was more than happy to assist her in her morning beauty routine. She took out a set of hairpins from a box next to her. Equally as lavish as her robe, the twisted metal was bejeweled with all kinds of precious stones.

Further down the deck she noticed some of the crew were gathering around a girl with feline features, as in a literal set of cat ears and a tail. A demi-human most likely. Now she understood why they were gathered around like bees to honey. Nur watched the interaction with an amused expression on her face as she began to pin strands of hair atop her head. The sailor immediately held up her mirror once again, without her needing to say anything at all. Malek's unmistakable voice boomed across the deck. The incessant yelling of the first mate, made her drop the pin she was holding. It slipped from her fingers and made a clicking sound when it fell on the wood floor of the ship. Nur did not bother to pick it up, or move from her seat for that matter. She simply took out another one and resumed what she was doing.

The sailor scratched the back of his head with his free hand, shuffling his feet on the floor. He was getting anxious.
"Isn't your name Nur..?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Perhaps only if he was drunk would he ever forget the name of such a beautiful girl as she.
"It is...." She pursed her lips and took a long look at herself, trying to debate if she was satisfied.
"So..I..maybe you should go out there..?" The sailor suggested, not sounding too sure of himself.

"Is someone dying?"

"Well no..but.." Before he could say anymore Nur rose from the crate and bent down to retrieve the fallen pin. She got up, and when she rose she was confronted with the most unpleasant sight. That disturbing witch of a man Aharuhn was eyeing up the new girl like a fresh load of fish. This was enough to urge the challenged surgeon to spring into action. First however some payback. She moved the part of her hair which remained unpinned from her shoulders onto her back and narrowed her eyes. She brandished the pin in her hand, taking aim. With a forceful flick of her wrist she threw it at the head of the first mate.

She rushed down the stairs and reached the edge of the ship in mere moments, despite of her size. Even Aodh the hot blooded djin was hovering over the girl. An annoyed expression sat on her otherwise lovely features.

"Don't mind these vultures" Nur said to the feline demi-human, adjusting the ties of her robe. She took the hand of the demi-human and pulled her away from Aodh and the others with surprising strength, giving them a deathly glare. Nur summoned her most unpleasant scowl for Aharuhn.

"And you..." She said turning to the sorcerer. Actually she didn't even want to bother thinking up some insult or other. She simply left the conversation at that. Nur gestured for the girl to follow her up the stairs.

Double posted >.<

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interactions: @FunnyGuy Malek & @Legion02 Aharuhn

---

To say Adrielle was relieved when she heard her first mates voice would have been an understatement. He did well in the position she put him in, always taking care of things for her. The crew also seemed to respect him which she was glad for, if they didn’t she would quickly through them overboard. That had happened on occasion and she seemed to never think twice about it.

She glanced over at Malek as he approached and gave him a smirk as she had just heard his treatment to the new girl. ”Or we could compromise and you can help me finish this. Two people will get it done a lot quicker then we can leave ahead of schedule.” She told him as she handed the paper over as she herself continued to check things. ”And nay Malek, no need to throw the worm overboard...yet.” She said as she used his own words for the woman, glancing at her friend again with a chuckle.

Her attention was then caught by the Sea-Witch as he boarded the Mermaid’s Fortune, an eagerness in his step. ”Soon, Mr. Seasworn. As soon as the cargo is loaded we can cast off. Don’t want to run out of alcohol now do we?” She said in response to the man before going back to her task. Many were afraid of Aharuhn, afraid of his powers. She’d also heard whispers of him being crazy, but she disregarded it all. While Adrielle secretly had a healthy, respectful fear for the man, she would never outwardly show said fear. She was content with being known as the crazy captain that took on the scary Sea-Witch.

She watched the feline woman for a moment as her attention turned back to Malek. ”You may think she’s trouble, but look at how much entertainment she’s bringing to the crew already.” She told him as she gave him a playful smirk. The girl may think she was only on board to play music and learn the ropes, but that wasn’t the entire truth. Every once and awhile Adrielle liked to provide toys for her crew to play with.

---

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interactions:@FunnyGuy Malek, @Helo Aodh, @Legion02 Aharuhn, & @dreamingflowers Nur

---

Katurah’s ears picked up on footsteps coming towards her and she turned in hopes someone was coming to save her. She was met with the frightening sight of...a dark elf? Whatever he was he didn’t look happy and her eyes widened as she took a few steps away from him. She had to stop when she realized any further and she would trip over a crate. He seemed to tower over her and it just made her feel even smaller than she already was. ”I-I’m s-sorry. Really, truly I am.” She began to stammer out, every instinct in her telling her to run yet she did her best to ignore that. She had to prove she was somewhat brave.

He soon walked passed her and on to the captain and Katurah found herself moving away from the both of them. She glanced around once more wondering who this Nur person was. That’s when a tall red haired, bronze skinned man approached her with a much friendlier demeanor and this helped her relax a bit. She gave the man a relieved smile, making a note of the name of the first mate along with his own. One this Katurah was quite good at was remembering names and faces. It just seemed to be a natural skill of hers. ”I really am sorry. Sometimes I just get so excited I don’t even realize I’m talking so much.” She told the man sheepishly. ”It’s very nice to meet you Aodh. I’m Katurah, the ships new entertainment.” She introduced herself happily as she held up her violin for emphasise.

That’s when another, older man approached and she stared up at him as he looked her over. She had come accustomed to gazes like his from years of working in a tavern. They no longer bothered her as the gazes were better than wandering hands. Those she’d also learned how to deftly avoid. What she wasn’t prepared for was his question. That question caught her completely off guard ”N-no thank you.” She said as she unthinkingly took a step away from the man and moved closer to Aodh, her new friend and saviour in her eyes.

A woman now approached the group, an annoyed look on her face. ”Wow, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen! I wish I was as beautiful as you!” Katurah exclaimed in awe, having no filter whatsoever. She often spoke what was on her mind and it got her in trouble a lot. She let the woman pull her away from the men, though glanced back at them briefly.

”It was lovely meeting you both.” She said to both Aodh and Ahharuhn, though the latter she wasn’t entirely sure if it really was lovely meeting him. He scared her a bit, but her mother had always said it was better to be kind to people you’d just met. She then followed the woman, assuming this was Nur.

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interaction with: @Tae - Adrielle @dreamingflowers - Nur

Malek looked over the list on the paper handed to him as he listened to Adrielle's opposition in the idea of ridding the Mermaid's Fortune of the kitten of a demihuman. Malek had never met with a new face on the ship in a positive light. Most proved their worth in due time, but that meant there were a few that didn't. The few that didn't, caused problems and problems led to things that Malek didn't like to think about when concerning the crew.

Upon noticing Aharuhn's presence, Malek let loose a low quiet grumble and kept his eyes on the paper in his hand. Malek could tolerate only so much of Aharuhn simply due to their incompatible natures. During times of leisure with rum in their bellies, Malek and Aharuhn could have an enjoyable time. Under normal circumstances they weren't fans of each other, then again Malek had few fans on the ship due to how hotblooded he made himself out to be. In his attempt to ignore Aharuhn's presence, something whizzed past his face from behind him.

Malek watched the thrown object bounce twice and land on the deck. He raised an eyebrow as he watched it gleam in the sunlight. Stepping forward and kneeling down, he grabbed the jeweled hairpin from the deck. He examined it between his fingers and shook his head with a scowl. Malek managed to turn his head just in time to see the culprit escorting the newcomer away to her bunk. Nur... I have something for that one. It’ll just have to wait. He stood back up with a sigh and moved to his captain's side to assist in accounting for the cargo coming aboard.

Adrielle's next words caused her first mate to raise his right eyebrow before he spotted her playful smirk. He lowered his gaze and chuckled. When his eyes met hers he nodded.

"Aye aye. I guess we'll need the entertainment once things get dull. It’s… good to see everyone in high spirits before we set sail, even you seem…" Malek sounded like he wanted to continue, but he furrowed brows as he spotted something. "Hey! That doesn't go there!" He shouted at two crew members carrying a large crate. Malek sighed while shaking his head. "Keep me sane, and I'll do the same for you, Nightingale." He smirked. It was a phrase that Malek said to his captain from time to time. The two had been close friends long before Adrielle became captain and Malek believes they’ve lived this long because they’ve never failed to support each other.

Time: Morning
Location: Whiteashe Gulf, aboard the Avalon Avenger
Interaction with: @Skwint - Barik

The deck of the Avalon Avenger rocked as large, rolling waves pushed the huge naval warship to and fro. A mist of salty sea water sprayed in the air as the water of the Whiteashe Gulf met with a thick Glasstonian hull. Though rough seas this close to Glasston was uncommon, the Avenger had seen worse, as had its crew. The same could not be said for the seargent leaning over the port side railing, presently in the process of losing his breakfast. Damn rough seas! What I wouldn't give for a piece of dry land! he must've been thinking to himself. Verrax stood upright, spitting the last of his sickness into the endless blue before him, silently cursing it for existing. Almost wish I hadn't signed up for this. Verrax thought for a moment. It was almost true...almost.

When his commander had come weaving wild tales of a glorious, noble adventure to any who would volunteer, Verrax was first to take the bait. Hell, he had been almost tripping over himself to get this assignment. As a proud member of the Glasstonian Infantry Corp, Verrax would be damned if he let an opportunity as big as saving his future queen pass by. Many of his comrades had voiced the same; Verrax had simply been chosen out of the best, the most squared away of his unit. He would gladly fight and die for such a cause. His frequent visits to the ship's railing had however quickly made him wish he could walk to Shadowmount. As it happened, he hated the sea. Verrax couldn't take the smell, the constant motion, the lack of a solid battleground. He stifled a second bout of sickness to salute a passing officer.

Steadied by the ship, Verrax slowly made his way from the Avenger's port side, navigating through a deck of seamen. Deck hands scrubbed everywhere, from bow to stern. The sounds of sailors' chatter could be heard all around along with the occasional unpleasant yelling of commands. Though the crew had put forth much effort to prepare for departure, it seemed the Avenger would demand the same of them throughout their long journey. Verrax had, on the other hand, accomplished very little since his voyage began just a short number of days ago. He knew little of how to operate a naval vessel and seemed to be learning even less. Fed up with the feeling of uselessness -and rather unsure as to his role on the vessel- Verrax decided it best to consult with the ship's first mate, a dwarf by the name of Stormhearth. He approached cautiously, waiting until he was alone to speak. He rendered a crisp salute. "Seargent Malagon reporting for assignment, sir!"

Time: Dawn
Location: Mermaid's Fortune cabins
Interactions: @Tae
Ambience: Surgeons cabin

---

Nur wasn't surprised in the least at the men's reaction to the new female crew member. What did surprise her however was the pang of jealousy she was feeling. She ignored the girls compliments and kept a steady pace towards the cabins, not once looking over her shoulder to see if she was actually following. They had been out at sea for weeks and despite having a woman as a captain, the rest of the crew were predominantly men. Honestly Nur didn't even count the captain as a woman, at least not one she was in competition with, that was a battle she knew to avoid. That just left the cook with a few scullery maids, herself and now this new girl. Nur liked her status as the shiny new treasure of the Mermaid's Fortune and it looked like some of her shine was beginning to dull. It made her feel uneasy. It was important for her to be needed by the crew, for more than her skills as a surgeon. Which were somewhat lackluster without the assistance of her waning magic. She didn't want to think what would happen if she lost her value.

She pushed open the doors to the cabins, putting her entire weight into it. The doors flung open strangely fast, almost as if someone was....
"Aye ladies, please enter our humble abode" A man carrying a barrel under one arm held the door. Nur vaguely recognized him, he was always stalking around in the belly of the ship, making sure the Mermaid's Fortune would not end up at the bottom of the ocean.

"I need to borrow these..." She said looking up with a cheeky smile. He was a good head taller than both girls. Nur relieved him of his key ring, swiftly untying the cord on the mans belt. He let out a grunt of approval and shifted the barrel under his arm.
"We'll get out of your hair now" Nur said, realizing the man had little left she added.
"Or well you know what I mean...." She bit her lip trying not to laugh at her own joke, realizing she would have to see him to return his keys. She ducked underneath his outstretched arm. After they were inside the man released the door ,making his way onto the deck.

The first time she had been down the cabins she was surprised to find there weren´t that many of them. The surgeons room was close to the kitchens as they often required the same materials and supplies. Nur used the stove to distill sea water to treat wounds. A time consuming process which she despised. Apart from herself only the captain and the first mate had private chambers. The rest of the crew stayed in hammocks or on the floors of a shared living area. Out of sheer boredom Nur had familiarized herself with everyone´s sleeping quarters. It was always good to know who stayed where.

"Follow me." Nur walked with purpose towards the far end of the hallway, most hammocks close to the deck were already taken when she joined the crew. Their owners wanted as less of a distance between the deck and their beds as possible, mostly because they were unable to reach their bunk drunk. It was not surprising to find them sleeping in the hallway, a bottle of rum in hand. It gave her a sinful amount of pleasure to douse them with cold water in the mornings. For medical purposes of course...

As soon as she reached the door of the first bunk with an empty bed to spare Nur turned around to face the girl. She made sure they were alone before speaking. Hopefully this piece of advice wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass later. It was completely against her better judgment. Part of her simply pitied the girl, who would most likely be eaten alive as soon as they set sail.
"Let me give you a piece of advice." Nur began, unlocking the door and walking inside. She heard footsteps coming towards them, or away she couldn't tell yet. Just to be sure no one heard them, she shut the door.

She looked at the girl, noticing she really wasn't wearing all that much. They were about the same height and she was actually pretty too. Carrying just one sack of belongings and a violin. The sack made Nur raise a brow. When she boarded the ship two men had to carry her belongings to her room. Chests and boxes filled with all kinds of things.
"Life on deck isn't easy, especially for girls like us." Nur pointed out with a hint of contempt in her voice.

She gestured to the way the girl was dressed to make her next point.
"You should use what you have to make your life easier, get the boys to do what you want, instead of the other way around"

It was as warm of a welcome as she could muster. On this ship it was every woman for herself. With a final nod she left the room. There was enough work left to do. Her cabin was a mess and she needed to organize the new supplies, preferably before they set sail. In case of an emergency.

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interacting with: Nobody

---

Nur got the same stare from Aharuhn as Katurah. Of course, the old man was quite fond of the feminine figure and one was always walking around on the Fortune. For whatever reason she had stayed with the crew. Much to the old sea-witch’s enjoyment. Quite coyly he waited for whatever insult she would throw at him. They were usually so creative and Aharuhn quite liked the attention. Instead of insults though, he could an unfinished sentence. Which somehow hurt more than any offense Nur could throw at him. Quite defeated he watched the two women leave.

“It involves so much blood.” He said, absent-mindedly about how the cat-girl would die. Though with the next sea breeze the thought vanished out of his head. They were out of earshot anyway. Though Oadh was. Never the less, out of sight out of mind. Aharuhn walked away, towards the bow of the ship to watch across the sea. A favorite passed time. Sometimes he would try to read the ripples in the water. Not that they often told him anything. Fate was as changing as the currents. But as his eyes scanned the horizon, something far away looked his way too. Across the horizon and the wide ocean, beyond stone islands and sun-kissed beaches, beyond mists and storm something connected with the sea-witch on a level most would never understand. Not even Aharuhn fully understood what just happened. A cold breeze blew over him and a shiver travelled down his spine. His hands began to shake. Then he heard it: whispers. Soft but all around him. He turned around, trying to see who was speaking. No one was around him. He heard it again. Again he turned around. “Who’s there?” he said, seeing if whatever was speaking would react. The whispers faded for a moment then continued.

The old Sea-Witch grabbed an amulet from his pocket. It was a clay circle with a cross in it. With several runes carved into it. He broke it with both his hands. “Spirits be gone.” He said to himself, as he let the clay fall on deck. For a moment the whispers subsided and the old sea-witch felt at ease. Sea spirits could never take a witch as accomplished as him. That fact made him prime prey for them though. Still, he had dealt with them before and he did so again. For a moment he closed his eyes and tried to calm his heart down.

Then the whispers returned. “No.” He said to himself as he looked down. Frantically he dropped down and grabbed the pieces of the amulet as the whispers continued. He had to have made a mistake. Perhaps he forgot a rune. How else could it fail? For a moment finding his error was more important than anything. Yet the whispers carried a sense of urgency. They would not be denied. Foreign thoughts entered his mind. Angered by his failure he smashed the already broken pieces on deck and rushed towards the cabins. He busted through the doors, slamming them into the walls. The sea-witch didn’t care about many things. The distance from the deck was the least of his worries. What he cared more about was that his cabin was absolutely sealed. Behind the normal looking door was a wall full of locking mechanisms. Made with gears, coils, hourglasses, chains, weights, candles, and other strange creations. Some more arcane in nature than others. Most of the time Aharuhn cherished the safety. Now he hated it as he pushed the strange key into the hole and turned the three-tiered, runic circles to open the door. When the door finally opened he slammed that one wide open too.

To his dismay there was nothing to write upon at the ready. Parchment and ink were stowed away before he left. Yet the whispers continued to intrude on his mind. Threatening to overtake him. In his despair he grabbed a knife and began to carve away at the wooden walls.

He chipped away at the wood. When he finished a figure, his mind allowed him but a moment to observe the strange glyph he had carved before he continued with another. The glyphs were chaotic. Some were elegant and flowing, others clear cut with sharp corners. The sequence of them was impossible to find. The glyphs were carved in chaos. Spread across all three available walls of Aharuhn’s cabin. There was no clear beginning or end. No way to discern which one goes before another. When the final glyph was carved the whispers vanished.

Only now did Aharuhn notice that his door was still open. Something he would’ve never allowed. For his cabin was filled with his secrets and Nur was of the nosey sort. Yet he couldn’t care. Not in the face of such indiscernible mystery. His memories failed him. He could not at all recall what sound the whispers made. Only that they were there. All around him the glyphs seemed to look down at him. But he didn’t know what they meant, or even what they were. He collapsed on his knees, exhausted, and trailed his fingers over one of the glyphs. “What…are you?”

"Aye, it looks bad for ya Samuel."

The young lass fingered over a weathered tarot card that laid before one of her crew mates. The two sat by a dim light in the lower quarters by the kitchen where Winnie spent most of her time on board, when not in her sleeping quarters. The man gulped, leaning forward his voice hushed as he questioned, "What does it mean Winifred?" a smirk formed across her lips as she pushed a strand of ebony hair back behind her ear- the leather of her eyepatch chafing against the skin and leaving a sweaty aroma. "Not sure if you can handle it really..." the girl teased, leaning back in her wooden chair waiting for the man to beg just for a little bit more.

"Aye Fred, you keep fucking me over, I'll piss straight in your pot, I will!"

"Fuck off!"

The girl came back up to the table, slamming her hands down with an impatient slap. She wanted some more mystery and passion in her life, but Samuel here was not pleasing her ears, nor very pleasing to her one good eye for that matter. Wasting no more time, she parted her lips, "This here's the reversed hierophant." the woman pointed to the ink illustration on the card, and the man looked at it more in depth, "It doesn't even have one of those long noses, you're pulling my leg now and I'm about to leave with my coin back." he squawked, starting to get off his chair with his hand outstretched wanting his payment back.

"Not an elephant you idiot! A HIEROPHANT. Like one of those big priest men." Winifred argued back as the man sat down with a thud, she continued, "See these three bars here on the cross? That there represents the father, the son and the holy ghost- or in your case The Captain, her breasts, and Davy Jones himself." the woman chuckled, looking at a very confused Samuel.

He was smart as he was putrid.

"So what's it mean then?"

Winifred, picked up the card and shuffled it back into her deck before excusing herself from the small table and placing the deck inside of her cabinet drawers, that remained locked with a small key she kept in the pocket of her trousers. She patted the pocket after slipping the key back in, a lovely sound of the metal clanking against her recent coin jingled back to her. "Aye when that type of card is reversed as fate dealt to you, it means that you are feeling a little locked up in your current structured life. Sounds like you should remain at port during this voyage, before you do the unorthodox."

Winifred raised her eyebrows, watching Samuel become uneasy- the conversation he shared with another crewmate last night of a revolution against the captain became a bitter and acidic taste in his throat. "Aye. I need a rest." he commented, quickly leaving the table and going up a deck. He avoided contact besides shoving past one of the crew members on his way onto the busy dock.

Winifred could be heard cackling from below deck, before the petite pirate would take Samuel's same footsteps and head up to the deck- but not to leave the vessel; but instead to take in the site of who's bellies she would be filling this adventure. She took at a glance both familiar and unfamiliar faces alike, before speaking with a bit of flair; "We lost an appetite but gained another!" she cooed, a toothy grin falling across her mouth.

Time: Morning
Place: Avalon Avenger
Interaction: Verrax @W0lf d3m0n

---

The Shadowmount Isles. Barik had heard every story, myth, and legend there was to be told about that damned little cluster of islands. Every single one made it very clear that anyone with any sense of self-preservation would stay well away from them. However, Barik now found himself on a direct course straight for them. It was for a good cause of course. The queen needed to be found and delivered to her rightful place in Glasston, but good intentions did not make for any safer a journey.

The voyage was not off to a great start. At least not in Barik's opinion. The seas were rougher than normal so close to the mainland. Despite his years as a sailor, Barik was not superstitious as most seafarers tended to be. He had always put his faith in wood, steel, and gunpowder. Still, given their destination and the unusually unwelcoming sea, he couldn't help but see it as some kind of bad omen and it made him feel uneasy. This uneasiness would never show on his face of course. As the first mate he needed to set an example. If he were uneasy, the crew would be also. If they weren't already that is.

As the seas tossed and rocked the Avenger Barik busied himself with making sure everything was secure and running smoothly. It was far too early in their voyage for anything to start going wrong, so he was going to make sure that nothing did. As he was making his rounds a sailor approached him and introduced himself as Sergeant Malagon. Wasn't this the lad who had been spending all his time at the railing? Barik looked him over. He may be a Sergeant on land, but not at sea. As far as Barik was concerned he was just another sailor, and not a very good one considering he couldn't even hold his breakfast.

"Well, lad, if you're done losing your breakfast to the sea you can go around and check the guns," Barik told him. "Make sure the wheels on the carriages are locked. If one of them starts rolling someone is going to lose a foot."

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interactions: @FunnyGuy Malek & @Helo Aodh

---

Adrielle lifted the lid of a barrel, inspecting the contents for a moment. When she decided it was satisfactory she closed the lid and instructed a nearby crew member to take a small group of the barrels down to the kitchen. Winnie would be glad for all the new supplies. She also made sure they had plenty of gunpowder, cannonballs, and ammunition just in case they ran into any trouble. She hated the idea of not being prepared for the worst. She also made sure they had plenty of rum, especially because it was a tradition of hers to start every voyage with a night full of revelry to help keep spirits up.

As she finished inspecting another crate, she noticed Malek picking something up. She caught sight of the jeweled hairpin and smirked a bit as she immediately knew who's it was. Nur would be in for quite some trouble later, she was sure of it. The woman was an interesting character for sure, but Adrielle liked her.

Her attention moved from the pin to Malek as as he spoke. Everyone did seem to be in high spirits and she was glad for it. She just hoped everyone stayed that way as they were heading somewhere many were fearful of. Her gaze was pulled to the crew loading the last of the crates and Malek yelling at a few who were placing them in the wrong spot. She chuckled as she looked back to Malek. "Always, love. Always." She said in response with a smile. She was glad she had Malek to rely on and watch her back, which she in turn did the same.

A ship was sailing into the cove at that moment and it caught Adrielle's attention. "Fuck me sideways…" She groaned as she watched the Pirate King's ship sailing into port. Most of the crew knew that Adrielle didn't like to stay in port long when the Pirate King was there, but only Malek knew the reason why that was. "Looks like we'll be casting off sooner than we expected, my friend. Care to get all hands on deck for me?" She posed it as a question, but in truth it was an order to her first mate.

She moved to head for the helm of the Mermaid's Fortune, but she paused by Aodh first. "Aodh I need you to keep an eye on the kitten for me. Order her around, teach her how to do things if you wish, but report to me on how she's settling in. Everyone needs to pull their weight on this ship including her. Can I entrust this task to you?" She asked the man, hoping he'd be willing to take on the task.

---

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interactions:@dreamingflowers Nur & @Legion02 Aharuhn

---

Katurah followed the woman down towards where she assumed she was to be sleeping. They ran into a man on the way and she stared up at him, giving him a grin. She remained quiet throughout the whole thing, however, and the joke Nur had made had gone right over her head. She simply just waved to the man as they continued on down into the belly of the ship.

The living quarters wasn’t entirely surprising to her as it was a similar arrangement to the one she had on her way to Parlay Cay. The difference, she would soon come to realize, is that things didn’t appear to be separated by gender in any way. They entered where she would be staying and she noted that there would be at least three others in there with her. Then with closer examination of things she could tell it was probably men staying with her. She turned to Nur, about to ask if it was some sort of mistake, but the question quickly died on her lips. Clearly it wasn’t a mistake and she would have to just make due.

Nur began to give her advice and she listened closely to it. She was to use what she had in order to make life easier for her on the ship. She glanced down at herself and then at her violin, trying to figure out exactly what the woman meant. Could she use her musical abilities to get people to do what she wanted? How in the world was she supposed to do that? Before she could even ask, Nur was leaving her to her own devices. ”It was really nice meeting you…” She awkwardly called after the woman as a farewell before turning to the empty hammock. She sighed and slowly began trying to find a place for her few belongings.

After a short amount of time Katurah looked at her place of rest and nodded. No use in staying down here, she wanted to watch the ship be cast off. Perhaps she could learn a thing or two as well. So she left the place and slowly began making her way towards the top deck, but something caught her attention. It sounded like someone was...carving something. She quietly followed the noise to an open door and she slowly peeked in. Inside was the man she’d met earlier who’d asked her a disturbing question. Her original reaction was to just swiftly leave, however she soon noticed the glyphs he’d been carving. She stared at them for a moment in awe and confusion. His voice pulled her attention once more and she looked at him on his knees, touching one of the glyphs. ”Umm...a-are you okay? What are those?” She decided to ask, mostly concerned with his well being.

---

Once Nur had whisked away the lost looking girl Aodh returned to work, shaking his head and grinning slightly at Aharuhn’s creepy welcoming, predicting the crew’s deaths seemed to be the man’s hobby. Simple manual labor, like loading and securing the cargo, was almost meditative for him, it was nice to do work on the ship without having to think too much, and just letting his body function on autopilot for a bit. He was more than certain that once they were in the thick of things everything would be more dangerous, and much more mentally taxing, so he was more than happy to enjoy the quiet moments for now. He snapped his attention immediately to the captain as he heard her speak his name. He was being asked to look after the kitten, and he stifled a sign as he nodded to captain, although he was pretty sure Malek had already assigned the task to Nur.

“Yes, Cap’n.” He responded, putting as much enthusiasm as he could muster in his words. Although the new girl seemed nice enough, babysitting wasn’t exactly his ideal job. Plus, if she was still around with Nur, he didn’t want to butt heads with the ship’s surgeon. Once the cargo was loaded up and secured, he set off to find the lost kitten, more than certain that Nur hadn’t found any real work for the new girl to do. Aodh headed down to the crew’s quarters but before he got there he passed Nur, who was no longer showing the new girl around. “Nur, where’d you leave the kitten?” He asked. “Cap’n wants me to find her some work.”

 

---

Sylas awoke during the very early hours of morning, while the deck of the ship was still wrapped in moonlight, to admire the vessel he was newly stationed on. As he admired the beauty that was the Avalon Avenger, he felt a great sense of pride and honor to be serving aboard such a ship on such an important mission. The Arcadian, a long with the future queen of Glasston, had gone missing, and in order to find the missing ship they would be sailing to the Shadowmount Isles, a place not even his father had been, a place said by most sailors thought to cursed. To be apart of this crew, and to succeed, would bring him notoriety that surely this would be the thing to finally make his father proud. This was the kind of mission that not only would showed courage, but his willingness to serve and sacrifice for Glasston. This was an opportunity that he had never dreamed would present itself so early in his career, and having proven himself a loyal solider before, Sylas had pulled every string he had to be stationed here. His excitement coiled with his anxiety to do well, and so the young elf wandered the ship committing its layout to memory. As the rays of sun began to break through the darkness signaling the arrival of dawn, Sylas moved below deck, memorizing every twist and turn of the hull as well. He kept meticulous notes of every piece of cargo he inspected, and any part of the ship needing maintenance.

Sylas liked getting as much done before the sun was up as possible, there were less crew wandering about, and he always felt most energized in the dark. He liked the peace and quiet, to be able to listen to the way the ship creaked and moaned about on the sea, these sounds were the heartbeat of the ship. He took in deep breaths of the salted air as he worked, focusing on keeping himself calm rather than allowing his anxious energy to take hold. He needed to do a good job, to prove himself worthy of being on such an important assignment. The ship continued to rock about on the open seas, this journey rougher than he expected, and these waters were normally much calmer than this. Eventually Sylas began to make his way back up deck, more than certain that there was work that needed done up there. On his way up from the hull he listened as the other crew members spoke of their fears and uncertainty about the voyage to the Shadowmounts. As the dwarven first mate instructed a unfamiliar, and seasick looking, sailor to inspect the cannons, Sylas set to work assisting the men manning the sails.

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interacting with: Katurah_@Tae

---

Aharuhn kept trailing the sigil with his fingers. Trying to glean its meaning from the touch, as he had done before. Nothing came to him though. Not the faintest memory. He was about to jump up and delve in his papyrus mind. His cabin was home to books you could not find in any respectable establishment, and some scrolls you couldn’t find anywhere else in the world. But he was interrupted. By the new girl. Gears in his mind suddenly clicked. Things began to fall in place. From seemingly nowhere he pulled a Kris and rushed towards the girl, giving her no time at all to react before he grabbed her by the arm. The point of his serpentine dagger gently pushed against the soft spot under her chin. A wide-eyed Aharuhn looked her in the face, examining her and everything about her. Despite everything, he felt as if her sincerity was genuine. The sea-witch always followed his guts. Its what kept him alive. A moment passed, he didn’t say anything. Then, slowly, he lowered his Kris.

“Who send you?” he asked. “Was it that old hag Nesa Zurr? Or was Madame Toussemente? Is she controlling you now? Are you a puppet!?” he yelled at her as he shook her. “No, she would’ve noticed. She wouldn’t have let you on board.” He said out loud, more to himself than anyone else. Sane people would assume the Madame wouldn’t let her onboard. In reality, he was speaking about the ship. “Could it be? Is Hallenruth finally seeing sense?” He said with a crazed smile. “Did he give you anything? A statuette or a pendant? No, no I would’ve seen it! Great Inéka I would have seen it! Why did I not see it!?” He yelled and shook her again. He never gave her time to answer any of the questions he posed. All possibilities were whipped away from his mind. All impossible. All were prepared for. Nobody could take him. Not on the Mermaid’s Fortune. “Who told you to board this ship!?” He snapped, directing everything towards her now. “Who told you to walk on the Fortune’s deck!?”

Time: Dawn
Location: Parlay Cay
Interaction with: @Tae - Adrielle @MissCapnCrunch - Winifred

"Aye aye captain!" Malek answered Adrielle as his eyes looked to the ship of the pirate king. The mere presence of it always filled him with admiration, even if that admiration came with a bit of contempt. He knew Adrielle's tale and understood why she never allowed the Mermaid's Fortune to remain in port whenever the infamous ship appeared. And so, always respected her wishes when it came to this matter. There were those that would moan and groan but that's what Malek was there for. He watched as the last barrel made it onto the ship and took a deep breath, in and then out as if to prime himself for the moment.

Before he could issue a command, however, he watched a man come up from below deck and hastily make his exit off of the ship. Malek scowled before he saw who followed. Winifred… a sweet yet dastardly woman with the best cooking I've ever had on a ship. He gave her a nod and a smirk. His power of charm seeped out a bit from the action. Winifred sometimes helped with getting the weak ones off the ship, so he didn't mind when she scared someone off with her mysticism. His attention then returned to the rest of the deck and the task at hand.

"Ahoy, look at that eyesore! It's the pirate king's ship! All hands on! YOU! Get the lazy bastards out from below!" Malek roared and men moved. He looked around at all the moving parts working together. There were the old that fell right into the comfort of their duties and the new who threw all their energy and excitement into each task. "Captain at the helm! Ready the sails! Prepare to lift the anchor! If you're new on my ship, watch how the old do it and follow their lead. If you can't, get the hell off!" Malek ordered as he stopped beside Winifred. "What happened with that one? He seemed like one of the hardier sorts, but if you scared him away, I'm sure it was for good reason." Malek spoke in a voice that's volume was between booming and his normal conversational tone. He didn't look at Winifred as he addressed her. It wasn't to be intentionally rude, but rather he was watching for deficiencies and the lazy ones on deck. Most understood that he was constantly on the move. How he found the time to harass new crewmates was a mystery in itself.

Time: Dawn
Location: Surgeon's cabin
Interactions: @helo
Ambience: Preparing medicine

---

Nur was planning to go to her cabin when she crossed paths with Aodh in the hallway. The sight of the tall fiery haired djinn made her smile. He had these piercing green eyes which stood out even more against his bronze skin. He wanted to know where she´d left the new girl.
Ah of course, they´re already asking about her......
Nur frowned, trying not to show her displeasure, but failing miserably.

She lifted her hand, pointing towards one of the living areas.
"Over there..." Nur answered in a deadpan delivery, her lips pursed.

The surgeon turned on her heel and hastily made her way to her cabin, frustration evident in her steps, her robe billowing behind her. She pushed open the doors to her cabin with excessive force, making the doors slam open and crash into the walls. The cabin was in a state of complete chaos. Books were spread about everywhere, all opened on various pages detailing herbal medicine and healing ointments. Jars, bottles and bowls filled with half made salves, poultices and the like covered most of her workspace. It was hard to tell the poisons from the medicine. Jars left with open lids. No visible label or writing to discern their contents.

"Unbelievable...." Nur said to no one in particular. The fact she had not killed anyone yet, working in these conditions was sheer luck. If Malek would be here to see it, he would throw her off the ship. The mere thought was enough to make her start cleaning up. Nur locked the door and went over to her dressing area. She slipped out of her robe and changed into her regular clothes. It didn't take her long to get dressed, even the lacing of her corset was done in the blink of an eye.

The surgeon strolled over to the center of the room, eyeing her surroundings. A lot of medicine needed to be restocked, the cupboards were near empty. Most of it she made herself. Just thinking of the work it was going to take gave her a headache. Despite her reluctance she got to work, soon falling into her familiar routine. Nur went from one corner of the room to the next, putting away books, cleaning out jars and bottles, throwing away spoiled herbs. She put on a pot of water on the single stove which was connected to the kitchens. She threw in a bunch of herbs balancing bundles of it, while simultaneously reading a recipe, smelling the herbs to make sure she had the right ones.

The cabin was staring to look presentable again. The scent of boiling lavender filled the air, the vapor rising from the copper pot. It made her sleepy. This was too much hassle this early in the morning. Nur stretched out and gazed longingly at the bunch of pillows and blankets close to her bed. Maybe just a couple of minutes...

Time: Morning
Location: Captain's cabin
Interactions: The Crew, @W0lf d3m0n

Altria sat in her chair, looking over the map on her desk. She was trying to find the best way to Shadowmount Isles, figuring it would be best to stay close to Glasston and go between it and Fall Cliff then make a turn to the Isles. 'Got it.' She thought to herself for a moment and abruptly stormed out from the cabin onto the quarterdeck.

"Attention!" She ordered the crew, "We will stay close to Glasston then make a turn towards the Isles once we pass Fall Cliff." Altria told them sternly. "Make sure everything is prepared! Cannons and guns ready to go and blades all sharpened. If we run into any pirates we will slaughter and blast them to hell! We cannot allow anything to interfere with this mission!" She yelled, "Are we clear?" She inquired, making sure everyone understood her orders. Everyone voiced their clarity by addressing her.

"Now where is the new recruit, Verrax. I would like to speak to him."